DIY Gumball Themed Valentines + Printable Tags

So colorful, so sweet, so much fun and so CUTE – these gumball inspired Valentines are just perfect for handing out to friends! See how I transformed a dollar store mini gumball machine into a bargain-friendly Valentine treat in just a few minutes. Also, be sure to grab our free printable gumball Valentine themed tags for the perfect finishing touch!

Valentine’s Day at the Dollar Store

Have you ever cruised through your local dollar store just after it has stocked up fop a brand new holiday? The other night while I waited for Lily’s dance class to end, I popped into the Dollar Tree. I feel like part of me is still in Christmas mode (yep, tree is still up over here) but I really enjoyed the multiple aisles crammed with Valentine’s Day decor, favors, treats and more.

My gaze settled on some mini gumball machines (they had both pink and red) and I knew that one had to come home with me. I grabbed a pink plastic machine off the shelf, even though I had no idea what I was going to use it for. (I had seen a few late night TikToks featuring them though, so I assumed there were plenty of ideas out there.)

On my way home, I was thinking about the huge Valentine’s collection on this site and it dawned on me that I didn’t have a gumball themed Valentine printable. (Until today, that is.)

Valentine’s Day Gumball Valentines

I love how the tags turned out and they look even more awesome when paired with gumballs. If you can’t find a gumball machine, that’s really okay. You could certainly just pop small handfuls of gumballs into treat bags, add the tag, and call it a day.

Our tags feature a gumball machine along with a funny gum pun, “I CHEWS YOU, VALENTINE.”

Dollar Tree Gumball Machine Won’t Dispense Gumballs

So this is the only slight disappointment I had with this gumball machine. The holes are so small, that mini sized gumballs (the .5″ in diameter size) can’t fit through them! How annoying!

This means that the dispenser is either purely decorational, OR that the user will need to open the top to remove the treats OR that you can put tiny candies into it instead of the gumballs pictured above. For example, we found that Mini M&Ms fit perfectly. Nerds, mini Chiclets gum, small jellybeans, etc are all candies that should dispense. Can you think of any others?

Gumball Valentine Supplies

Round up the following candy and craft supplies to make these Valentines:

• Bag of gumballs (we used small gumballs, half inch in diameter)
• Mini Gumball Machine or clear treat bags
• Twine or ribbon
• Scissors
• Single hole punch
• Our printable tags (see below)

Printable Gumball Machine Valentine Tags

Get the printable: Gumball Machine Valentine Tags

You can grab our printable tags right here. Simply enter your email address in the box and opt-in to receive our free newsletter.  Check your inbox for this printable, which you will receive as a subscriber bonus. NOTE: This file is for PERSONAL USE ONLY. You may NOT sell the digital file or sell the printed work. You may NOT redistribute the digital file or printed work.

How to Assemble the Valentines

1. Gather your supplies, including our printable tags. I recommend printing the tags on white cardstock to make them sturdy.

2. Use scissors to cut out the tags and single hole punch to punch a hole in the top of each one.

3. Fill the top of the gumball machine with gumballs or whatever other candy you might be using. Anything chewy or sticky would work with the pun on the tags!

4. Close up the machine and use twine or ribbon to attach a gift tag to it. Feel free to sign your name (or your child’s name… whoever is gifting this Valentine!) to the back of the tag before you tie it to the machine.

That’s it!

Doesn’t the end result look great?

More Ideas for Using the Gum Themed Valentine Tags

Check out a few more ideas for these tags. You can fill the gumball machine with wrapped gum instead of gumballs.

You can skip the dispenser altogether and use the tags with packs of gum or gumballs in a jar or favor bag.

Let us know if you end up using these Valentine tags and tell us how they worked out for you! If you post a picture of them on social media, feel free to tag us. We love seeing our printables in action!

Looking for more Valentine’s ideas? We have DOZENS!! Make sure to check back each February for new content.

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